


Black and White Keys in Gray Areas

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Blushing!Eren, Blushing!Levi, Dorks in Love, Eren in a tank top and short shorts because I can, Eren plays the piano, Fluff, M/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-02 16:31:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6573691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Levi was annoyed.<br/>Mostly because there was a ridiculously attractive boy playing the piano outside his window.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Have a self-indulgent Modern AU featuring Eren playing the piano and Levi getting annoyed.

Levi wasn’t really sure how his day ended up like this.

He was sitting on his bed, trying to finish his Physics project, when a loud sound echoed through his entire room. What the hell—

Oh.

Levi peered out his window, and his momentarily puzzlement was solved. Because there, right outside his house, was kid with unruly, brown hair playing the piano. How did he even manage to lug a piano there in the first place? Really, it was quite a strange sight.

And the kid wasn’t even that good. Sure, he was pounding on the keys with vigour, but it just sounded like noise. And Levi was never someone who identified well with music. In fact, music was the only class Levi failed when he was still in elementary school. As an academic person, the fat F on his report card put a dent in his ego, and he held a petty vendetta towards music ever since.

But now, the stupid kid was playing an annoying song that Levi didn’t recognize outside Levi’s window, and he was ready to go down there and give the kid a piece of his mind. Not only had it been a long day, but Levi also had a splitting headache from all the reading and writing he was doing (if he heard the word ‘viscosity’ one more time, he was going to go bat-shit insane).

So, with that in mind, Levi thought that his next action could be excused. He opened the window, stuck his head out, and promptly yelled down to the kid below, “Oi, annoying piano person. Stop making noise.” And as an afterthought, he added, “Please.”

The kid stopped, fingers coming to a pause, and he looked around with a bewildered face. He looked embarrassed enough that Levi felt a rush of satisfaction. _Hah, a taste of your own medicine_ , Levi almost ground out. But He didn’t, because the kid was still looking around like a lost puppy.

But then he saw Levi’s head poking out the window, and he glared daggers in Levi’s direction, green eyes flaring so bright that Levi swore he was blinded for a second. And then he stuck his tongue out at Levi and flipped him the bird, much to Levi’s chagrin (and mild amusement). So, with equal embarrassment—but still a lot of satisfaction—Levi slunk back into his room and shut the window, wallowing contently in the silence that followed…

…for approximately fifteen seconds.

Because after that short period of peaceful quiet, the horrible music started again. It was a different song this time, but just as terribly played as the last. And fuck, Levi wanted to pour a bucket of water on the kid’s head. But he would probably get arrested for assault, so Levi simply tried to deal with the migraine bulldozing the inside of his brain.

When the piano started to pick up volume and intensity, he could feel every ounce of stress and frustration explode all at once, and he stuck two fingers into his ears before collapsing onto his bed, his Physics project going everywhere.  

Homework be damned. He wasn’t going to get any work done like this anyway. And besides, he was only 17. School wasn’t the most important thing in the world, and he could get the project done tomorrow. It wasn’t like he procrastinated until the last second. He still had three days to do it, and it wasn’t like the kid was going to be playing outside his window for three days straight, right? Surely the kid would have homework to do as well.

Levi groaned, burying his face into his pillow, and he contemplated if suffocating himself would be worth it if it meant escaping this noisy hell. Why wasn’t his room soundproof? He needed new windows. He was pretty sure that it wouldn’t be a problem to afford, seeing as his Kenny—his guardian—was a lawyer. And he was also pretty sure that Kenny would have no problem in catering to Levi’s every need. After all, Kenny was desperate for Levi to accept him, and Levi was completely ready to use that to his own advantage.

He smiled, wondering almost too happily what a room without the piano sound would feel like.

But that happy thought was instantly wiped away, and Levi almost screamed out loud when the song switched again, this time to a faster and rougher one. It sounded, to Levi, like an elephant sat on someone’s foot, and the piano playing was the poor person’s screams.

Okay, maybe that was a slight over exaggeration, but you got the point. The point was that the playing was worse than a three year old’s, and Levi was ready to bet that the rest of the residents living on his street would agree. He was surprised that no one else had told the kid to stop yet other than him.

Hopefully, the kid would stop in a couple of minutes, and Levi could continue on with his life as if nothing had ever happened. And then he could forget about the brown haired, green eyed kid completely, and finish his Physics project in peace.

* * *

Sadly, nothing ever went as Levi planned.

The kid played for another solid two hours after Levi disrupted him, and he seemed to play with a vengeance. It was almost as if the kid knew that Levi was still fucking annoyed, and he was playing as loud as he could on purpose just to get back at Levi for yelling at him.

Or maybe Levi was just paranoid.

But Levi was certain that he heard the kid yelled, “Take that, grumpy, short guy,” at one point. And he was also certain that, when he poked his head out the window for the second time, the kid stuck his tongue out at Levi. And then he proceeded to toss in a cheeky smile when he saw Levi’s enraged face.

The nerve of that brat.

Levi probably would’ve started shouting swear words if it wasn’t for the mom and the baby carriage politely listening to the kid’s so called “music” on the sidewalk. Seriously, why was that lady even bothering? Did she want her baby to grow up with a scarring memory of this awful piano playing?

But finally, _finally,_ after the longest two hours of Levi’s life, the kid left, lugging his piano behind him with an unnecessary last glance at Levi and an unnecessary middle finger. Actually, now that Levi was looking at the piano properly, it was quite small. And it was on wheels. Huh, so that was how that kid got it all the way there.

Maybe if Levi ran down right that instant, he could break the wheels of the piano and never hear from the kid again. But then again, the kid wouldn’t be able to take the piano home if the wheels were broken, and more than anything Levi wants the kid to _take the damned thing home._ And preferably keep it at home, where it could never bother Levi again.

But the kid left, and Levi could finally hear his own thoughts properly again, as well as the static emptiness of his room. He sighed, collecting his scrambled project from around his floor and bed, and he picked up his pencil, tapping in onto his leg. Where did he leave off again? Right, viscosity. Levi grimaced at the word, and on second thought, the Physics project could wait just a little longer.

His stomach growled, and Levi decided that that was more worth his time to deal with than a stupid project, so he left his room and ventured into the kitchen, feeling, somehow, more isolated than before. I couldn’t be because of that terrible piano playing, right? After all, Levi didn’t think he would ever miss it.

Biting his lip hard, Levi opened the fridge and sighed, rummaging through the endless packages of wilted lettuce and moldy lemons. Was there anything to eat? Leftover, leftover, leftovers—aha! His eyes landed on some microwavable lasagna, and Levi hummed in indifference. Lasagna would be adequate, and he was craving something comforting right now. And so, lasagna it was.

Levi pulled it from the fridge, glancing out the kitchen window and at the darkening sky. The moon was crescent, and there was a cloud covering the middle of it. It was picturesque, and if Levi was more artistic, he would’ve appreciated it more. But the only thing he had the mind to appreciate right now was the lasagna, so he popped it in the microwave and waited.

And waited.

The clock ticked and ticked, but time only seemed to move slower. And for some unexplainable reason, Levi felt like he left something behind. But he couldn’t figure out what it was for the life of him.

He was probably just irked because he left his Physics project unfinished. Yeah, that was probably it. Or maybe the missing feeling was from the crater in his stomach.

Food first. Deep, existential thoughts later.

Finally, the microwave gave out shrill sound, indicating the termination of the complicated and meticulous cooking process. Levi, with a some form of content, fished the soggy meal from out of the microwave, took a fork from the drawer, and dug into it still standing.

It was hot, and frankly, quite gross. But Levi sucked it up and ate through it, finishing it all in ten minutes. After wiping his hands, washing the fork, and tossing the package away, he looked around. It was only 8 o’clock at night. What was there to do to pass the time?

Doing homework was out of the question, seeing as Levi’s head was hurting so much that he could probably cry on will. And watching television sounded even worse. Absent mindedly, Levi twisted his t-shirt around in his fingers as he tried to think.

He could read a book, or take a bath.

Actually, baths were gross and filthy. He would much rather take a shower.

Levi’s brain seemed to be going off on a tangent, so he shut if off effectively, marching back up to his room to do something more or less productive. Just not as productive as school stuff.

Maybe he could knit.

Levi instantly lit up at the idea, shaking away the heaviness his limbs started to develop from standing in the same spot for too long. And yes, Levi liked to knit. And no, he didn’t see it as a problem. His mother taught him, and he enjoyed it enough to continue it as a pastime. So why not now, when every other option sounded equivalent to falling into Satan’s butthole?

Levi rummaged through his closet, getting out his knitting needles and his wool. And slowly, with the ease of practice, he fell into the methodical twisting and flicking pattern of knitting. It was relaxing, and the dark blue yarn would make a nice scarf. Not a scarf Levi would wear, but a nice scarf none the less. Besides, he could always give the scarf to his 17 year old neighbour, Mikasa. She liked scarves, and was always wearing the same red one every day. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to change it up.

Musing, Levi continued knitting until it was well past 10, and then he put the materials away and yawned. He felt exhausted, both mentally and physically. And to be honest, he just wanted the week to be over and done with. But alas, it was only Wednesday, so he had another two days to go before school would grant him the mercy of a break. And so, he sucked it up took a couple of deep breaths.

Whatever. School wasn’t the end of the world. He would be fine. After all, learning was something that Levi enjoyed. It was the process of the learning that he thought could use some brightening up. After all, the mind-numbing hours of doing worksheet after worksheet were enough to drive even the most logical man insane.

Mumbling incoherent phrases that even Levi himself wasn’t aware of, he trudged to the bathroom and prepared to get ready for bed. Thankfully, the knitting helped with his headache, and all that was left was a dull throbbing. He could deal with the slighter pain, and he was thankful that he didn’t have to take any Tylenol this time because it tasted like shit.

Sleep, sleep, sleep. He chanted it like a mantra, over and over again in his head. He hadn’t been sleeping properly the past few days. And sure, it was a common occurrence, but Levi really needed to sleep. But then again, he also needed to grow, and it didn’t seem like he was getting much of either.

* * *

 

The kid was playing the fucking piano again.

_Why was he playing the fucking piano again?_

Levi banged his head on his desk, something that he rarely used. He decided to switch it up and be more organized today, but it seemed like the desk was only a way to give himself another headache. And god knows that he didn’t need any more of those.

But, _Jesus Christ_ , this kid was annoying. As if one day of piano playing wasn’t enough, but he had to come back for an encore. For fuck’s sake. Levi was ready to shove the kid into the streets and act like it was an accident.

Whoa, that was a rather violent turn of thoughts. Levi shook his head, blinking rapidly as his dispelled the literally murderous direction of his brain.

Levi still couldn’t identify the song, but it was—thankfully—slightly more bearable than yesterday. It was slow and a little melancholic. And when Levi glanced out the window for a one-second look, the kid was even swaying with the music.

It was…cute.

Wait, what?

 _No, bad Levi. Don’t think about that annoying kid like that. He was not cute._ _The kid was NOT CUTE._

Sure, the kid had brilliant eyes that Levi could see even from the second storey. And sure, the kid had cute hair. But cute hair did not make a cute person.

Fuck, Levi couldn’t even fool himself. Alright, the kid was cute. Sue him (don’t actually. Not that you would be able to seeing as Kenny’s really good as his job). But it wasn’t like he liked the kid. No, the kid was still annoying, and his good looks weren’t worth anything if his personality was anything like the one Levi had the pleasure of witnessing. Besides, Levi didn’t even know the kid’s name.

But that wasn’t the point. The point was that it was Thursday afternoon, and Kenny left Levi some money to go out and buy himself dinner. And there were two problems with that. One, Levi was still trying to finish his Physics project, and it was going nowhere. And two, he couldn’t leave the house because that would mean walking past the kid. And he didn’t trust those green eyes for a moment.

But after another half an hour of working, and another half an hour of listening to an abundance of miserable piano songs that Levi didn’t know, the rumbling of his stomach got the better of him. And so, he went downs the stairs, scooped up the money, and left the house.

It was bright out, not that it was surprising considering it was spring. But even so, it was hot, and Levi could barely see against the setting sun. His hoodie and skinny jeans weren’t exactly appropriate, but after locking the door, Levi was too lazy to go back in a change. So he dealt with the humidity and walked forwards, closer and closer towards the stupid kid and the piano.

For some reason, the piano was quieter in the streets than it was in Levi’s bedroom, and it made absolutely no sense. Maybe the kid somehow installed a speaker into Levi’s room just to troll him.

Shaking his head at the ridiculous thought, Levi walked forwards, turning his head when he passed the kid so he wouldn’t get noticed.

No such luck.

“Hey, asshole,” the kid yelled, somehow sounding cheerful despite the bite to his words. Levi winced, begging his feet to keep moving, but he was rooted in his spot. “You’re the one who was all rude and stuff the other day, right?”

Levi snorted, turning around. “Rude and stuff? Wow, you really have a way with words.”

The kid rolled his eyes, stopping his piano playing, and beckoned Levi to come closer. And for some bizarre reason that Levi couldn’t explain, he complied. Maybe it was something about the kid’s face, but Levi didn’t want to say no.

Or maybe Levi was just delirious from the heat.

Yeah, that was probably the answer.

At five in the evening, there weren’t many people on the street. And the few people who walked past didn’t give Levi or the kid a second glance.

Levi walked up to the kid, and the kid rested his elbows on the edge of his piano, leaning forward to that he was closer to Levi. Levi fought the urge to cringe away. Or to slap the kid. Or both.

“I’m Eren,” the kid said, sticking out a hand for Levi to shake. Levi glanced at the sweaty hands, not even bothering to make an effort of taking them, and the kid, who Levi now knew as Eren, simply let his hand drop, smiling brightly.

“I didn’t ask for your name,” Levi replied, schooling his face to look bored. He didn’t understand why Eren was introducing himself. And he didn’t understand why Eren wasn’t yelling insults at Levi. After all, last time Levi checked, Eren should be mad at him.

“Well, I gave it to you anyway,” Eren shrugged, still smiling brightly.

Levi glowered. “Why are you talking to me? I thought we established that we hated each other.”

Eren cocked his head. “Did we? The only thing I established was that you’re an asshole. A hot asshole. But still an asshole.”

Levi blinked.

Eren blinked.

“A _what?”_ Levi shrieked, slamming his hands onto Eren’s piano. No, he wasn’t affronted by the ‘asshole’ part. He was more affronted by the ‘hot’ part.

Eren laughed, loud and vibrant. And okay, maybe Eren’s laugh was ridiculously attractive, but that was it. Levi was not infatuated with this kid in the slightest, and Eren was nothing but a pest. A cute, smiley pest. But still a pest.

“And besides. I don’t hate you. Sure, you gave me a fright yesterday, but I think I was probably bothering you. Sorry for that. And also, sorry for flipping you the bird after,” Eren said, still leaning forwards with his eyebrows furrowed.

And _fuck,_ Eren sounded sincere.

Levi sighed, grumbling out a, “It’s fine.” But only because he had to. And no, it was totally not because he wanted to see that brilliant smile on Eren’s face again.

And no, he totally didn’t swoon when that was exactly what he got.

“Thanks. And hey, I meant what I said. You’re hot.”

Levi blushed.

“Go out with me.”

Levi spluttered.

 _“What?!”_ Levi yelled, throwing his hands up into the air. “We’ve only just met. What the hell are you smoking?”

Eren’s eyes twinkled, and he fished out a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling something down. “Here.” He gave Levi the paper, and folded his legs underneath him on his piano stool. “Call me whenever. God knows I have too much free time. And also, it’s just to hang out. It’s not like I asked you to take me back to your sex dungeon or something.”

“I _do not_ have a sex dungeon,” Levi ground out, feeling himself blush all the way to his neck. And now that he knew Eren’s number was written on the folded piece of paper in his hand, he wasn’t sure what to do.

Why was Eren even pursuing him? If Levi thought that annoying Eren would get Eren to like him, he would’ve never done it in the first place.

“Sure you don’t,” Eren said flippantly, and Levi bristled. “But seriously. Call me. I’m always bored, and there’s nothing to do besides annoying hot neighbours with my bad piano playing.”

At least Eren knew he was bad at playing the piano.

“Kid, I can’t go out with you. You’re a kid. And besides, you don’t even know my name,” Levi said, trying to find an excuse. And it wasn’t exactly because he didn’t want to go out with Eren. Eren was…nice? But Eren also looked young and happy, and Levi didn’t want to ruin that with his glum mood and life problems. Most of those problems being that he was a pessimistic teenager.

“I’m not a kid,” Eren stated indignantly, puffing out his chest as if to prove his point. And it was hilarious because he looked just as scrawny as before. Hilarious and _adorable._ Fuck, how many synonyms of ‘cute’ could Levi find to describe Eren?

_Attractive, endearing, charming, pleasing to the eyes, adorable. Fuck, the kid was adorable._

“Oh yeah?” Levi challenged, trying to get rid of the distracting thoughts. “How old are you?”

“I’m 16!” Eren said, almost too proudly.

Levi raised an eyebrow, taking in Eren’s soft features. The kid was small, skinny, and muscle-less. And he looked like he could pass for 14.

“I don’t believe you,” Levi said, crossing his arms. And he didn’t. There was no way that this bright-eyed kid was 16. For one, 16 year olds didn’t have eyes that big, or eyelashes that long, or skin that good.

“No, really! Here.” Eren flipped out his student I.D., and Levi glanced at it closely. He remarked that Eren’s birthday was March 30th, and that he was, indeed, 16.

“You’re barely sixteen,” Levi pointed out, and Eren huffed.

“Still, I proved you wrong. And besides, you don’t look much older.”

“I’m 17.”

“My point exactly!”

“I’m a year and three months older.”

“That’s not much at all,” Eren said, and Levi sighed. He really wasn’t getting out of this one. “Besides. It’s just one…erm…date. If you don’t like it, we don’t have to go on another.”

“You still don’t know my name.”

“Then tell me.”

Eren stare at Levi, challenging him, and Levi gave in. “It’s Levi,” he grumbled, tightening his fists only to accidentally crumble the paper with Eren’s number on it.

“Levi. That’s nice. I…um…look forward to knowing you better…if you accept the date offer…and stuff.” Eren was blushing, his ears turning red at the tips, and Levi might had been slightly too amused by the way Eren had trouble finding his words.

And one date. One date couldn’t hurt. Levi didn’t date much, but when he did, it wasn’t that bad. For instance, there was Erwin who was pretty nice. And Petra was sweet too. So, rolling his eyes, Levi nodded reluctantly (not actually reluctantly). “Fine. One date.”

He didn’t miss the way Eren’s shoulders fell in relief, or the shit eating grin taking over Eren’s face. And it was the first time that it occurred to Levi that Eren probably knew Levi before Levi knew Eren. Just how long had Eren been watching Levi before he decided to start playing the piano outside of Levi’s house?

But then again, that was what Levi got for living in a house next to a busy road. Kenny could’ve bought a house in a neighbourhood instead of a house on the streets. But Kenny was weird in certain ways, and he hated neighbourhood houses.

It also occurred to him and Eren setting the piano outside of Levi’s house was probably no accident. After all, normal people didn’t go after the person who insulted them just because said person was hot. No, Eren definitely had this planned out.

Levi almost chuckled at the thought, reminiscing of his younger years when he pined after other people.

“Just one date,” Levi repeated. “Don’t get too excited.”

But Eren got excited anyway, even going as far as to jump from his piano stool and give Levi a hug.

“Thanks, Levi. You won’t regret it.”

Eren was still smiling wide and bright, and Levi was still hungry. So Levi bid his goodbyes, and started walking to get food significantly later than he anticipated. And as he walked down the streets, he found that he was in high spirits, and that he had tucked Eren’s number safely into the pocket of his jeans.

Humming, Levi entered a small café, hands playing with the piece of paper in his pocket. And as he waited in line, he muttered to himself, “Brat, you could’ve just put your number on my phone.”

And all the way back at Levi’s house, Eren started packing up his belongings to get ready to go home, when a thought occurred to him. “Huh. I could’ve just put my number on his phone.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi and Eren go on a date. Except the date doesn't quite go as planned (but in a good way).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second and last installment. Enjoy some fluff.

Levi didn’t text Eren. No, he could do better. Instead of texting Eren, Levi waited until Eren showed up outside his house again, playing the piano.

And Eren delivered. Indeed, he showed up outside of Levi’s house. And indeed, he brought his piano and a stack of sheet music, along with a rolling stool. And Indeed, Eren began to play more bad music.

However, Levi definitely got more than he bargained for, because he didn’t expect Eren to show up short-shorts and a tank top.

_Jesus fucking Christ. God is real. God is real, and he’s right outside my house._

Because despite Eren’s young features, he was hot as fuck. Hot, adorable, and sassy all in one. A triple threat.

Levi flushed, looking out his window at Eren, and he couldn’t help but feel like a creep. Just yesterday, Eren was an annoying nuisance he had to deal with. But somehow, Levi’s perspective turned around in less than 24 hours.

Levi snorted, cracking open his window to get a better look, and yelled down, “You’re not improving. Seriously, play the damn piano somewhere else.” But he smiled to let Eren know that he was joking.

Eren stopped playing, and looked up, eyes catching the light. Eren was grinning widely, and he tossed Levi a wave. “Hey! If you have something to say, say it to my face.”

Well, Levi didn’t think that Eren would tease back. Was this flirting?

“That's the plan,” Levi said back, already closing his window and making his way down the stairs and out the door.

Yeah. This was definitely flirting.

He ran up to Eren, noticing how Eren looked much more flustered up close. Levi took pride in that. But Levi also noticed how much shorter the shorts were up close, and how tightly the tank top clung to Eren’s thin figure. It was flattering in ways that Levi didn’t know existed.

Eren’s skin was tanned and smooth. A great contrast to Levi’s pasty complexion. Not to mention those gorgeous eyes. Fuck. Looking this good should be illegal.

“Heyo,” Eren said, not looking up from his sheet music as he began to play another song. Levi listened, noting with slight respect that Eren actually _was_ improving—despite what Levi said earlier—even in the few days that Levi knew him.

“Sorry for not calling,” Levi said, trying not to sound to rough. He never meant to sound rough, but he was told that sometimes his words had a bite of sarcasm that he didn’t intend.

Thankfully, all Eren did was smile, and Levi’s heart started doing flips.

_Did Eren ever stop smiling? Jesus Christ._

“It’s fine. I like talking to you in person better anyway,” Eren said, blushing from his toes to the tip of his head. “And you probably haven’t even put my contact into your phone yet.” Eren stopped playing the piano, taping on his lap with one hand. With his other hand, he rubbed the back of his neck, shifting from on his stool in uncertainty.

“I added your contact on my phone the moment I got home,” Levi grumbled. And then he wanted to smack himself in the face because he wasn’t supposed to admit that aloud. _Idiot, idiot, idiot—_

“Huh.” Eren cocked his head to the side. “So were you just pretending not to want to go on a date with me? Listen, I don’t know who told you that playing hard to get was hot, but it’s not.” Eren cocked his head again, deep in thought. “Actually, playing hard to get might be a _little_ hot. But only a little. I would’ve been a lot less anxious if you just told me ‘yes’ straight up, you know?”

Levi wanted to dig his own grave, or smack Eren on the head. Biting his lip, he managed to spit out, “I wasn’t playing hard to get!”

Eren gave a toothy grin, wagging a finger in Levi’s face. “You totally were! You came up with all these excuses!” Then, with a deepened voice, Eren gave the worse Levi impression that Levi had heard in his entire life. _“’Oh, but you’re a kid. You don’t even know my name. Your piano playing sucks. Yadda, yadda, yadda.’”_

“I never said the last one,” Levi huffed, trying not to grin.

“Yeah, but you were totally thinking it.”

Levi shrugged, but he didn’t deny it. After all, it was the truth. “You’re improving,” he offered as a sort of compensation, and Eren beamed.

“Really? You think so? Because you just said that I wasn’t literally a minute ago.” Even with his uncertainty, Eren was nearly jumping out of his seat, way too excited from a simple compliment.

Levi nodded, biting his lip hard so he wouldn’t accidentally laugh out loud. “Yeah. I really think so.”

Eren whooped, throwing his hands in the air in a form of celebration, and Levi nearly choked on his spit because he just got a really good view of the entire left side of Eren’s body.

_Thank you, tank top, for providing me this opportunity of starring at the glorious, tanned skin of Eren whatever-his-last-name-is._

Levi would’ve probably actually gotten on the ground and prayed if it wasn’t for Eren’s cute giggle interrupting his thoughts.

“So,” Eren said, cheeks pink and eyes twinkling. It was the type of innocence that Levi didn’t want to touch, but to ravish. Eren was the type of person who was untouchable. Eren was the type of beautiful that was eternal. “About that date.”

Oh, right. The date. That was the only reason Levi was out there in the first place. As a grade A introvert, there were very few things that could get Levi out of his room. But apparently planning a date with a bright-eyed brat was one of them.

“Right. The date,” Levi mused, leaning on Eren’s piano with an ease that he didn’t know he possessed. _Good. Keep being smooth._ “Have anywhere in mind?”

No, Levi wasn’t making his voice husky just to see Eren blush again. Okay, so maybe he was. But it was totally worth it because Eren turned pink again, hair at the nape of his neck bristling like cat.

“ _Oh my god,”_ Eren whined, putting his face into his hand. Levi couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, relishing in Eren’s embarrassment. “Please don’t talk like that,” Eren said, voice muffled by his hands. “It’s too hot. You’re too hot.”

“Says the guy wearing short-shorts and a tank top. Speak for yourself.”

Eren blushed even deeper, if possible, and Levi loved every second of it.

“It was hot out,” Eren mumbled, voice rising an octave. “And besides, I wasn’t wearing it just to seduce you.” Eren looked up, and Levi raised an eyebrow. “Okay, fine,” Eren relented. “Maybe it was to seduce you.”

Levi’s other eyebrow went up, and he could feel his heart skip a beat. Eren leaned in closer, and Levi tried not to breathe Eren’s scent in too deeply, because that would be _weird._

“Did it work?” Eren whispered, mouth so close to Levi’s ear that he could feel a tickle of Eren’s breath along his neck.

Levi nodded, lump stuck in his throat. “Yeah,” he croaked, trying to get his hormones in check. “It worked. You can stop now.”

Eren studied Levi’s face, and the air was charged with tension while Levi struggled to not make a sound. Finally, _finally,_ Eren leaned back, satisfied, before a laugh erupted out of him.  It was a booming laughter, high-pitched and gasping, and before Levi knew it, Eren was doubled over, slapping his piano. “You should’ve seen your face!” Eren exclaimed, and Levi groaned in mortification, laughing at his own expense. Yes it was funny, and yes, it was hot as fuck. But it was also embarrassing beyond Levi’s capacity of comprehension.

What did he do to deserve this? All he wanted was to come ask about the date. He didn’t ask to be seduced by a boy a year younger than him with killer legs and beautiful eyes.

Eren smiled, and he seemed completely content with the stunt he just pulled. “Wow. I didn’t know I had that effect on you. Paybacks a bitch, huh. Not that I didn’t like your husky voice. Please use it more.”

“You mean this voice?” Levi asked, playfully wiggling his thin eyebrows as he drew his voice even lower than it already was. Really, he was just trying to recover his pride and ego, fanning his face while he’s at it to make the blush go down. He was sure he looked like a tomato.

Eren nodded enthusiastically. “Yes please.”

And then Levi remembered—probably for the fifth time since he left his house—that _right,_ he was there to talk about the date.

“The date. We need to talk about the date,” Levi said, and Eren pouted.

“Fine,” Eren moaned, rolling his eyes before immediately perking up once he registered by Levi said. “Right, _the date!”_

Eren then got out his cellphone, standing up so he could be next to Levi, and Levi was suddenly aware that Eren’s bare thigh was pressing against Levi’s leg. “Here,” Eren said, shoving the phone in front of Levi’s face. “I wrote down a bunch of places we could go. Do you like museums?”

Levi shook his head, grimacing. Museums were boring as hell.

Eren nodded, deleting the word ‘museum’ from his notes. “Good. I hate museums. Um, what about the beach?”

“No. Sand everywhere.”

Eren hummed in agreement, deleting that off the list as well. “Maybe the park?”

Levi opened his mouth to speak, but Eren cut him off before he could even get out a word. “No,” Eren mumbled. “Too generic.”

Eren kept scrolling through his notes, and Levi had to cram his neck back to see it since Eren shoved it so close to Levi’s face. Eren had written down so many places that Levi was completely disoriented, not sure where to look.

_Zoo, aquarium, laser tag, picnic, waterpark, fancy schamncy restaurant, McDonalds (No, Eren. Levi won’t like that. Have you seen that body? There’s no way he eats McDonalds)._

Levi pretended that he didn’t see the last one, but he could feel his ego puff up significantly. “Hmm…” Levi said, eyes scanning the small screen of the phone. “What about that one?” He pointed to ‘aquarium.’

Eren shook his head. “No. I hate aquariums. I don’t even know why I put that there.”

Levi rolled his eyes, surprised that he wasn’t more annoyed. If it was anyone else, he probably would’ve ditched already and decided against going on a date at all. But it was Eren, and Levi didn’t know why, but he wanted this date almost as badly as Eren did. ‘Almost’ being the key word. After all, Levi wasn’t the one who wrote a list of fifty date ideas.

“What about the waterpark?” Levi suggested, sighing in relief when Eren perked up.

“Oh yeah, the waterpark! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“You did,” Levi pointed out, but Eren only waved him off.

“Details, details.” He pocketed his cellphone, turning to Levi to address him. Levi could feel himself melt into a puddle when Eren stared up at him with his big-ass, green eyes, knees going weak.

Fuck, Eren had him smitten, and Levi barely knew him.

“We need the date, time, and where to meet,” Eren said, listing off each point with a finger.

Levi nodded. “When are you free?”

“Any time when there’s no school.”

“Same.”

Eren clapped his hands, and _why the fuck did hand clapping suddenly look so cute?_

“Let’s go tomorrow!” Eren said.

“Tomorrow?!” Levi parroted, only with a bit more surprise. _Tomorrow was too soon. How was he supposed to prepare his poor heart for this? God dammit. Eren would be the death of him._

“Yeah. Tomorrow. I’ll meet you here after school, and you can take me to the waterpark!”

Eren seemed so excited, and Levi really found himself unable to say no, so he nodded again, swallowing thickly. “Sure, tomorrow,” he said weakly, feeling woozy when Eren smiled even wider, white teeth on display.

And then Levi noticed that it was quite late, and that his Physics project was due tomorrow. “I should go,” he said, although reluctantly. He wanted to stay and listen to Eren play more of his god-awful piano. He wanted to stay and keep ogling Eren’s bare legs. But Physics was waiting, and Levi really didn’t want to fail school just yet.

Eren didn’t seem deterred by Levi’s sudden parting, only nodding happily. “Sure. Sorry to keep you for so long. Have fun doing your project!”

Levi nodded weakly, turning to leave, only to be surprised by Eren’s small hand stopping him. “Wait. A parting gift for good luck,” Eren said, looking to the ground shyly.

Levi wasn’t used to a shy Eren, so he narrowed his eyes. “What are you planning you—”

And with a quick swoop of his head, Eren effectively cut Levi off by planting a chaste kiss onto Levi’s cheek, blushing almost as hard as Levi.

Levi’s eyes widened, and he could feel a warmth spread from the area where Eren’s lips touched his skin all the way to the tip of his toes.

_Fuck. Did that just happen?_

Levi touched his cheek, frozen, even once Eren went back to the piano and started playing again.

_Yes. Yes it did._

And Levi grinned, nearly _skipping_ back to his door, before something occurred to him.

“Wait!” He called out to Eren, who was really only a couple of meters away. “How did you know that I have a project to finish?”

* * *

“I can’t believe that you’re a stalker,” Levi said.

“I'm not!” Eren defended, folding his arms and sticking out his bottom lip. He looked like a kitten. An adorable, angry, and defiant kitten.

“Oh? And pray tell, how did you know about my Physics project?” Levi asked, smirking once Eren began to blush.

They were sitting in Levi’s car on the way to the waterpark, and Levi would be lying if he said that he wasn’t looking forwards to seeing Eren in swim trunks.

_And to think that I hated him not even three days ago._

Levi scoffed internally at his own patheticness, and he wondered when he became such a shallow, horny teenager.

“My sister’s in you class,” Eren mumbled, looking out the window so Levi couldn’t see his face. But Levi wasn’t stupid, and he knew that Eren was only doing it to hide his embarrassment.

Eyes trained on the road, only able to see Eren in his peripheral vision, Levi hummed. “And who’s you’re sister?”

“Mikasa.”

Levi’s eyes shot open in surprise, and he cast a quick glance in Eren’s direction. Eren still wasn’t looking at him, and the condensation of his breath was fogging the windows. Levi grimaced, realizing that he would have to clean it later.

“Mikasa’s your sister?” Levi asked, not even bothering to keep his voice neutral.

Eren nodded, mumbling a “Yup.” But he didn’t say anything else. His smile, however, spoke volumes. He was practically bouncing up and down in his seat, although he still avoided Levi’s gaze like the Black Plague. Really, Eren didn’t seem so embarrassed when he propositioned a date. So why did he get flustered over the littlest things?

“You look nothing alike,” Levi remarked, and Eren nodded vigorously in agreement.

“I know,” he said, almost exasperated. He finally turned to look at Levi, although Levi couldn’t return the sentiment seeing as he was driving. But it seemed like Eren already shed of the embarrassment, which was a feat that Levi would like to learn.

Seriously. Who could forget embarrassment so easily? Levi couldn’t calm down from a blush for what felt like hours, and Eren brushed it off like it was nothing.

“But Mikasa was adopted, so we’re not actually blood related. Not that blood has anything to do with family, because it doesn’t.” Eren was rambling, and Levi let him. After all, he wanted to get to know Eren.  “And she was adopted when she was ten, and I was nine. And I don’t want to brag or anything, but she was smitten with me the moment she saw me.”

“Smitten?”

“Okay. Poor wording. Maybe she wasn’t smitten. I mean, she did smite the people who tried to get close to me—”

At this, both Levi and Eren giggled.

_Giggled._

When was the last time Levi giggled? He didn’t think that he ever giggled in his life time. And now, look at him. The great, grumpy Levi, giggling at some stupid thing that a 16 year old said.

“—but she loved me. And it was extremely overbearing at times, but I kind of miss it now.”

“She’s not overbearing anymore?” Levi asked.

“Nah. But she does like to get up in my business more often than not. So anyway, she told me you were in my class because I’ve been admiring you for a while—” Eren broke off, covering his mouth. “I, uh, wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

He was as red as a tomato once again, and Levi couldn’t help but smile widely. “Yeah. I already figured that out myself,” Levi said, loving every moment that Eren turned a darker shade of pink.

“How?!” Eren asked, indignant. “I was being super subtle!” He crossed his arms over his chest, huffing, embarrassment still lingering. And if Levi wasn’t driving, he probably would’ve reached over and pat Eren on the head.

“Well, for one, normal people don’t pursue a relationship with someone who insults them,” Levi said, noting how Eren visibly brightened, blush already fading.

“Is that what this is? A relationship?” Eren asked, bouncing in his seat once again.

“Oi, calm down. We haven’t even kissed yet,” Levi was quick to respond, trying not to freak out.

 _Why did you bring up the word ‘relationship’, you idiot,_ he chastised himself, heartbeat quickening.

“You brought it up,” Eren said pointedly, and Levi could only sigh because was true. “And besides. You totally want to kiss me. Admit it.”

_Where did the sudden confidence come from?_

And Levi couldn’t respond. Mostly because it was kind of true. Eren had nice lips. Nice, red, amazing lips. And Levi would be more than happy to kiss them. But not now. He was driving, and he wasn’t ready.

In case you hadn’t realized, Levi wasn’t a relationship person. Nor was he a one night stand person. Levi was the kind of person who stayed up on the weekends to knit, and who only ever kissed two people before. He had never gone to second base, or third base, or whatever base.

Well, actually, there was that one time he accidently groped a girls boobs. But it was an accident! He didn’t _know_ that she just happened to be standing right behind him. There was also that time he punched some guy in the balls, and that was not an accident. But it also wasn’t meant for romantic or sexual purposes.

Huh. Levi was even more horrible at romance than he originally thought.

Thankfully, Eren let it drop, and a comfortable silence settled upon them, only broken by Eren’s fingers rapidly moving across the dashboard.

“What are you doing?” Levi demanded, peering at Eren out of the corner of his eye. Eren’s fingers were making an awful tapping sound, and Levi’s previous attraction turned into irritation. Irritation out of endearment, probably. _Wait, what?_

“I’m playing the piano,” Eren said, glancing at Levi with a bright twinkle in his annoyingly green eyes.

“There’s no piano there,” Levi stated rather dryly.

“Well, obviously not,” Eren said, rolling his eyes.

Levi did _not_ titter. He _did not._

* * *

“Hey, Levi. Do you think that we can make a quick stop at my house so I can grab my piano?”

“Oh my god. What the fuck are you going to do with a piano at a waterpark?”

* * *

Levi had no idea how they even fit the piano into the car, but they did it.

Levi also had no idea how they transported the piano out of the car and into the grass. But there it was, resting comfortably, several meters away from the small waterpark filled with filthy children.

“I’m not going in there,” Levi grimaced, pointing into the direction of the water park. There was no way that he was even getting a meter closer to the disgusting, snotty kids.

“Neither am I,” Eren shrugged, and Levi turned to look at him in disbelief.

He threw his hands up, staring incredulously at the stupid (good-looking) brat in front of him. “Then why did we come here in the first place?”

Eren shrugged again, a smile tugging at his lips. “I just wanted to spend time with you,” Eren said, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

And, _god dammit,_ Eren really knew how to tug at Levi’s heartstrings because the next thing he knew, he was warm all over.

When was the last time Levi felt this warm?

And fuck, Eren was too sweet for him. Too sweet, and too beautiful, and much too wonderful.

“Don’t say things like that,” Levi whined. Yes, he actually _whined._ “It makes it so much harder not to kiss you.”

Oh god, why did he say that? He wasn’t supposed to say that! It just fell out of his mouth. And Levi knew that Eren knew that Levi wanted to kiss him, but saying it gave it an entire new meaning.

Saying it meant that Levi was admitting it. And aloud, no less.

_Crap, crap, crap, crap, cra—_

“Then kiss me, you nerd. What are you waiting for?”

Eren was looking at Levi expectantly, and Levi was a loss for words.

Because those lips. _Damn, those lips._ And those eyes, and arms, and legs. And Eren was wearing shorts again. And Eren was wearing a tank top again. And Levi was sure that he would have an aneurysm before Eren got any closer to him.

Because his was aching to touch Eren. Aching to hold him, and ravish him, and kiss him until every inch of his body was covered with Levi. And _god,_ Levi never felt like this with anyone before.

“Kiss me,” Eren repeated, this time more quietly. With slow steps, Eren came closer and closer to Levi until their noses were practically touching.

Levi was warm. He was warm all over.

And Eren was hot, like fire. Eren was Levi’s breath, and air, and everything in between.

And so, before he could lose his nerve, Levi leaned in and kissed Eren.

Eren’s lips were chapped, but soft at the safe time. And their noses were touching, and Levi was on his tippy-toes, and Eren was _kissing back._ And he knew that Eren would kiss him back, but thinking it and experiencing it were two different things.

Levi was burning, and it was a burn he loved. It was slow, and steady, and Levi somehow found his hands going under Eren’s tank top. And he was touching Eren’s hot, hot, _hot_ skin, and Eren was letting him.

Eren’s hands were running through Levi’s hair, and he didn’t want it to ever stop. He hoped it would never stop. Because Eren’s skin was so smooth against his rough fingers, and Eren’s lips felt so _right_ against his own.

The fluttering in Levi’s chest had started the moment he met Eren, and it never stopped. But now, it was pounding. He could feel his heartbeat, and he was so flushed against Eren that he was sure Eren could feel it too.

The steady _thump, thump, thumps._

The blood flowing in his veins.

He was alive.

He was alive, and Eren was making him feel it for what felt like the first time.

And with the annoyingly attractive boy kissing him, Levi felt like he could fly.

* * *

“Screw the waterpark. Let’s get out of here.”

“But my piano. We can’t just leave it here.”

“God dammit. I always knew there was reason why I hated that thing.”

* * *

 Levi was exhausted, and university was finally out for the summer. Really, he would love nothing more than to go back to his small apartment and collapse onto the bed. And maybe then he could nap for a two months before his last year in school began.

But he had somewhere to be.

So he got into his car, put in a CD that contained an impressive catalog of Eren’s piano playing, and started driving.

It was a twenty minute drive that consisted of stomach flipping, nerves, and eagerness. And Levi was excited, and proud, and bumbling with nervous energy the entire way.

And once he finally got to his destination, he couldn’t even think straight. Cars packed the parking lot to the brim, and it took fifteen more minutes just to find a space. And god, Levi really hoped that his hair looked all right, and that casual clothes were okay, and that his road rage didn’t show much on his face.

And then he remembered that Eren would be dressed in formal wear, and he maybe salivated at the thought, but just a little.

Then he thought of ripping the formal clothes off Eren’s body and—

Levi shook his head. Nope. Not the time. Not the time _at all_.

He schooled his features and got out of his car, squinting against the setting sun that was dyeing the sky a bright orange. And with much difficulty, he read out the faded sign on the building.

_‘Music Hall.’_

Levi couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his lips, something he got used to doing for the past several years. And Levi also couldn’t help the swell of absolute pride stirring in his chest.

Because Eren made it.

After nearly five years’ worth of horrible piano playing keeping Levi up all night, Eren was here, ready to perform in front of thousands of people. And Levi would be watching in the audience, cheering Eren on every step of the way.

With that thought, Levi stepped into the building, tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans, and made a right to the auditorium. He had long gotten used to coming here. Mostly because Eren would drag him here to watch other people perform.

But now, Eren was the one doing the performing, and Levi could feel the flutter of excitement open up inside him.

He entered the auditorium, and found that it was already full, packed with people of all ages. And the crowd would usually bother Levi, but not today. Today, he didn’t care about anything but Eren. Today, he was devoted to one thing and one thing only.

So Levi dealt with the dust, and the grime, and the sweaty people. And Levi dealt with the ten extra minutes of anticipation as the lights slowly dimmed teasingly.

And Levi dealt with the loud clapping, and the babies crying (because there’s always at least one), and the old people snoring.

And then Levi didn’t have to deal anymore, because someone was walking onto the stage, and the entire building seemed to quiet. It was someone awkward, but confident. Someone relatively tall, but small in build, and who never quite filled out. Someone beautiful, with piercing, green eyes that Levi could see from ten rows above.

A sharp intake of a breath was heard, and Levi was perfectly aware that it was his own. Because Eren was dressed in a button down and tight jeans. And Eren was tanned, and beautiful. And it was the Eren that Levi got to come home to everyday in their apartment, but it was also a different Eren.

This Eren was nervous, but excited.

This Eren was fidgety, but collected.

This Eren was dressed in nice clothes—

Wait. Was that Levi’s shirt? Oh god, it was totally Levi’s shirt. No wonder why it looked so familiar, that damned brat. 

Levi shook his head, snorting, but far too used with Eren’s antics to be surprised.

And Eren walked up to the piano, bending down to adjust the seat, before sitting down. His hands came to a rest on the piano, but he didn’t start to play yet. Instead, he shifted his body slightly, and his bright eyes searched the room, taking in the polite and tense silence. Taking in everyone. And he was scanning every row, and every seat.

And Levi knew who he was looking for, so he raised a pale hand, waving. He didn’t know if Eren would see it. He didn’t know if he was even noticeable in this crowd of hundreds. And it was awkward because the person next to him was staring, and so was the person behind and in front of him. But he didn’t care.

Because Eren noticed.

Because Eren always noticed.

And Levi watched as Eren’s face lit up into a beautiful smile, and he tentatively waved back. Levi watched as Eren took a deep breath, turning back to the piano.

Levi crossed his fingers, and watched as Eren’s slender fingers pressed down on the first note.

And then Levi lost himself.

Because, _god,_ Eren could play.

And sure, Levi never liked music much, but Eren made him like it. Eren made him love it. Eren made him want to never stop listening to music, and to put it on repeat for the rest of his life. Because when Levi was with Eren, everything was in colour. Every note that Eren played burst into songbirds and blue and reds and yellows.

Because Eren played pink, and magenta, and every single colour related to love.

Levi watched as Eren’s fingers danced rapidly across the instrument that was so much larger than the one they had at home. Eren’s hands were crossing over and under, and scaling the black and white keys as music flowed from his fingertips.

And Levi was in love. Levi was in love, and he didn’t care because he was in love with _Eren._

* * *

“You were incredible.”

A kiss.

“Unbelievable.”

A kiss.

“I didn’t know you could play like that.”

A kiss.

“Actually, I totally did.”

A kiss.

“And also, don’t wear my clothes you shitty brat.”

A kiss.

Eren laughed. “Sorry. It was the only fancy thing in the house.”

Levi adored Eren’s laugh. Levi adored Eren’s everything.

“I love you,” Levi said, and he was never good with romance, but he tried to put every feeling he was harbouring into those three words.

“I love you too,” Eren said back, setting a head onto Levi’s shoulders, wrapped in Levi’s arms. And Levi’s heart filled with something so _beautiful,_ and so heart-wrenchingly _lovely,_ that he couldn’t breathe for a second.

Because Eren was a person made of colour.

Because Levi didn’t know that his world was gray until it wasn’t anymore.

 


End file.
